


More Than You Bargained For

by BoomquieshaJ



Series: Welcome To The New Age [1]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Mpreg, Self-indulgent fluff, and also a blowjob because why not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 18:06:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/764383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoomquieshaJ/pseuds/BoomquieshaJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’d give up being a part of a run for the Stanley Cup, would give up a chance at being the MVP just to make that man happy, because, even though hockey is still very much a part of who he is, this family is, and will always be, the most important thing in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	More Than You Bargained For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [faintheartednot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faintheartednot/gifts), [LouLa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouLa/gifts).



> So one day I decided I was going to write fic about Jonny and Pat having kids, and I posted a vague tweet with only the words "adoption, surrogacy, or mpreg?" to which Lyn responded "always mpreg." So here it is. 19000 words of mpreg. It wasn't supposed to be this long, but it just kept going.
> 
> Special thanks to Liz for following along with me, beta-ing for me, and encouraging me throughout the process, this is dedicated to her, Lyn and Lacey, Emily, and Danielle #birdsinthebush
> 
> It's a special gift for Lyn and Lacey because they exist, and that continues to make me happy every day.

Patrick finds out the news when the season is only about two months in, after feeling tired and just completely out of it for a full two weeks’ worth of games and practices. Jonny tells him to go see the team doctor after a particularly grueling game against the Oilers goes into overtime and Jonny has to all but carry Pat up to their hotel room and put him to bed.

  
“I’m gonna be fine, Tazer, really,” Pat says through a yawn. “I just need to sleep.”

  
“That’s what you said last week,” Jonny reminds him, “and you haven’t gotten any better, so please?”

  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Pat replies brusquely.

  
“I’m serious, Patrick,” Jonny says sternly. “I’ll have Coach bench you if you don’t.”

  
“You wouldn’t!” Pat exclaims, scandalized.

  
“I would,” Jonny assures Pat as he cuddles up behind him in bed. “Promise me you will as soon as we get back to Chicago tomorrow.”

  
Patrick promises.

 

***

 

It’s not that they never planned on this. They knew that it would happen someday, but there was always the assumption that they would wait until they were ready to retire from the game, to hang their jerseys in their stalls for the last time.

  
And they certainly never intended for it to happen this way, even though he’s known for his whole life that it was a possibility.

  
“Are you okay?” Dr. Terry asks Pat after he’s sat stunned for more than a few minutes.

  
Patrick swallows and answers, “Yeah. Yeah, I just. Are you sure?”

  
“I’m pretty positive.” Dr. Terry laughs, pointing at the screen on the ultrasound machine. Patrick stares in shock at the screen for another moment before clearing his throat and trying (and failing) to put on his best business face.

  
“So, what does this mean for the rest of the season?” he asks.

  
“Well I’m going to refer you to a colleague of mine who specializes in cases like yours,” Dr. Terry replies. “But I’d say you’re about two months along, and men typically start showing sooner than women.”

  
“So what does that _mean_?”

  
“I’d say you’re just about done for the year, Kaner,” Dr. Terry answers.

  
“Great,” Patrick says sardonically. He leaves Dr. Terry’s office not long after that, with the number of a doctor who specializes in Male Gestation, and the assurance that he’s one of the best in the field.

 

***

 

Patrick gets to his and Jonny’s condo in Chicago without realizing how he got there. He’s certain that he drove himself there, got in the elevator and walked himself down the hall to the door, but he was much too preoccupied with what he saw and heard in the doctor’s office today to pay much attention to anything else.

  
He’s pregnant.

  
His hands instantly go to his lower abdomen at the thought. It doesn’t feel real, like a thing that’s actually true. Patrick supposes that will come, though, the further along he gets, the more he starts to show.

  
“I’m pregnant,” he says to the empty living room, like saying it out loud will make him believe it more. Not so much.

  
Now that he’s home he doesn’t know what to do. Jonny, he assumes, is working out in the gym in their building, so he doesn’t have to worry about that for now. The condo is clean mostly because Jonny keeps it that way. Patrick supposes he should eat, but he doesn’t have much of an appetite, which is the opposite of what he thinks should be the case, considering his condition. At a loss, he flops uselessly onto the couch and turns on the TV, surfing mindlessly through channels.

  
He doesn’t even realize that he’s fallen asleep until he’s being shaken awake.

  
“Hey babe,” Jonny greets with a smile when Patrick opens his eyes. They’ve been married for three years and Pat still hasn’t gotten over having Jonny’s smile be the first thing he sees upon waking up. He looks up into his husband’s eyes and thinks to himself ‘yeah, I can definitely raise a family with this guy.’

  
“Hey,” Patrick replies, accepting the peck on the lips that Jonny offers.

  
“What did Doctor Terry say?” Jonny asks, lifting Pat’s legs and taking a seat on the couch.

  
“Oh,” Patrick starts lamely, not sure how to go about this. “Well, he, uh, ran some tests.”

  
“And?” Jonny says a little impatiently. “What did he _say_?”

  
Patrick stalls for time, sitting up and looking up at the TV. He notices what’s been playing is one of those trashy yet ridiculously addictive talk shows that only come on in the middle of the day when no one is paying attention. To make things even more perfect, it’s one of those paternity test episodes where the man swears up and down that he “ain’t that baby’s daddy.”

  
“Patrick,” Jonny says, giving him a little push to get his attention, “are you gonna tell me what he said or what?”

  
“Yeah, yeah, just wait a second,” Pat answers. He watches the show, while Jonny stares at him disbelievingly.

  
“If you’re not going to tell me, I’m gonna go get in the shower.”

  
“Just wait a second. It’s coming,” Patrick promises.

  
“You’re ridiculous,” Jonny says, but waits for Patrick anyhow.

  
Patrick times it perfectly, exclaiming “Jonathan, you ARE the father” just as the host informs Tyrone that he is also the father.

  
“What are you talking about?” Jonny asks. Patrick can’t help but start laughing, finding Jonny’s confusion funnier than the method with which he chose to break the news. “Can you stop laughing, and tell me what’s going on please?”

  
“I’m sorry,” Patrick says, calming down. “I guess it was dumb of me to think you’d get it.”

  
“Patrick...”

  
“I’m pregnant, you ass.”

  
“Wait, what?”

  
“Tazer, please.”

  
“No really, Pat, what did Dr. Terry say?”

  
“I just told you, don’t be stupid.”

  
“I’m not being stupid. Be serious, this is not something to joke about.”

  
“I’m not joking, Jonathan,” Patrick replies. “Why would I joke about this?” Jonny glares at him. “Okay, okay, you’re right; it’s probably something I would joke about. But I am being serious right now.”

  
“But, how?”

  
“Jonny.”

  
“I mean I know how,” Jonny corrects himself. “But, _how_?”

  
“Male Gestational Syndrome,” Pat answers. “You know that this is a thing. I’m not the first man to get pregnant, Jonny, not even the first man you know. I’ve got all the right parts and now you’ve knocked me up.”

  
“But we’ve been together for years and this has never happened.”

  
“I’m sure that’s true for a lot of couples,” Patrick says with more calm than he’s felt since he found out. He figures that one of them should at least have the semblance of calm, and since he fully intends to freak out continuously for the next seven months, he decides to take the responsibility for now.

  
“You’re sure?” Jonny asks, scooting closer to Patrick tentatively.

  
“Dr. Terry seemed pretty sure this morning when he had that cold ass gel on my stomach,” Patrick answers.

  
“Okay,” Jonny says, shaking his head a little, probably in an attempt to clear it. “Okay,” he says again, this time before pulling Patrick into his arms and kissing him heartily.

  
“You good?” Pat asks Jonny after they pull apart.

  
“I’m great,” Jonny answers. “Like, really great. Are you?”

  
Patrick takes a second to take stock of his body, of how he feels physically. He’s still exhausted as all hell but other than that he feels fine. Then he considers how he feels emotionally, because he’s totally in tune with his emotions contrary to what his sisters may think. He’s not happy about having to miss the rest of this season, and probably some of the next. And he doesn’t know how people are going to react to this. The team and its staff, the majority of the sports world at large, and even a handful of fans have always been very supportive of him and Tazer. However, the general reaction of most fans has been mild tolerance, taking the “as long as it doesn’t interfere with the game” attitude, and up until now it hasn’t. The Blackhawks have made the playoffs every year since Jonny and Pat came out, even winning the Stanley Cup once. But this is definitely going to affect the game. It’s not that Pat considers himself better than any of the other players, but he knows how difficult it is on the team when anyone is missing. Him being gone for an extended period like this is definitely going to affect the team’s dynamic. It’s probable that even the people who were supportive of them getting married will be upset by this.

  
Then Patrick remembers what it was like back when news of them getting together first broke. He remembers how nervous he was about officially coming out to the public, how much anxiety he had over how everyone would react. He also remembers the decision that he made the night before he and Jonny announced their engagement. By that point he was so in love with Jonathan Toews that nothing else mattered, so he decided that no matter what it took, he’d give it all for the man sleeping next to him. Looking over at his husband, Patrick realizes that this, this family that they’re going to start, is just an extension of that choice that he made. He’d still give it all for Jonny, and he’s willing to give it all for his family now, too.

  
“I’m great, too,” he answers.

 

***

 

Patrick doesn’t even dress for practice the next day, figuring it’s a waste of time since the win against Edmonton was his last game in a Blackhawks jersey for the rest of the season, at least. He calls Coach Q that morning, letting him know that he isn’t going to take the ice at all that day and that he needs to talk to him and Bowman, preferably before the team meeting.

  
He watches practice from the sidelines with a longing that he knows won’t go away anytime soon. After spending nearly a decade in the league, and the majority of his life on the ice, it’s going to be difficult to see his friends and teammates out there without him. A wave of nausea hits him, reminding him just why he’s not on the ice. He hasn’t experienced any morning sickness up until now, and it figures it would happen the day he’s basically about to tell the entire team that he’s pregnant. Surprisingly, no one asked why he didn’t suit up, which means they either asked Jonny, or they all remembered just how exhausted he was after their last game.

  
The nausea doesn’t pass, and Patrick jumps up from where he’s sitting, barely making it to a trashcan before his stomach relieves itself of his breakfast from that morning. By the time he gets his head out of the trashcan, practice has come to a complete stop, with all eyes on him. Jonny is already off the ice and out of his skates, making his way over to Patrick.

  
“Are you okay,” he asks, worry etched all over his face as he hands Patrick a bottle of water.

  
“M’fine,” Patrick replies, taking a swig of the water and swishing it around his mouth. “Get that look off your face, Tazer. There’s gonna be a lot more of this happening over the next few months, get used to it.”

  
“I know, I know,” Jonny replies. “It’s just. Well, you look terrible.”

  
“You’re not looking too hot yourself, asshole,” Patrick retorts, gesturing to Jonny’s sweat-matted hair.

  
“I already know you’re turned on by how I look right now, so I won’t even bother responding,” Jonny says with a small smile. “And I’m serious. I know this is all part of the territory, but I can’t help but worry when you look like that.”

  
“Well, I’m fine, okay,” Patrick assures him. “Go back to practice. I promise not to die while you’re gone.”

  
“That’s not funny.”

  
“Yes it is,” Patrick says, leaning up for a kiss, then turning Jonny around to push him back towards the rink.

 

***

 

Patrick waits in the locker room for Jonny to shower and dress so they can go break the news to their Coach and General Manager.

  
“You feelin’ okay there, Kaner?” Seabs asks, taking the seat next to Patrick on the bench he’s sitting on.

  
“I’m fine,” Patrick answers.

  
“You sure?” Seabs asks. “You’re still looking a little green. Maybe you should go talk to Terry.”

  
“I already have,” Patrick tells him. “I, uh. I’m good. No need to worry.” Seabs stares at Patrick, disbelief all over his face. “No really, I’m good, I promise.”

  
“You ready?” Jonny asks, coming up to where Pat and Seabs are sitting.

  
“You guys aren’t taking off before the meeting, are you?” Seabs asks.

  
“No, no, we just gotta go talk to Coach Q for a second,” Patrick answers.

  
“And you’re sure you’re fine?”

  
“I am!” Patrick assures him, maybe too defensively.

  
“He really is,” Jonny says reassuringly. “But we do have to go. Hit the showers, Seabs. We’ll see you in a bit.” Jonny stretches his hand out to Patrick, helping him up. As they walk out of the locker room, Patrick can feel Seabs’ suspicious eyes follow them out.

 

***

 

“You okay,” Jonny asks Pat again before they knock on the door to Coach Q’s office. “You still look a little off-color.”

  
“I wish you people would stop asking me that,” Patrick complains. “Can we just get this over with, please?”

  
“Okay okay,” Jonny says, raising his hands in surrender as Patrick knocks on the door.

  
“Come on in, boys,” comes Coach’s voice from the other side of the door. After they enter and acknowledge the Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, who’s sitting on one of the couches in the office, they each take a seat in front of the desk. “What can we do for you?”

  
Patrick, his stomach fluttering with nerves, looks over at his husband. Jonny doesn’t say anything, instead glances at Patrick with a tilt of the head that Patrick takes as his cue to go on. Patrick wonders how he got saddled with someone who is the exact opposite of helpful.

  
“Well,” Patrick starts, after clearing his throat. “I guess there’s no easy way to say it other than to just come out to say it.”

  
“What is it?” Coach Q asks. “I suppose it has something to do with why you weren’t practicing today.”

  
“I, uh, yeah,” Patrick says lamely. “I’m um...oh shit,” he says as another wave of nausea overtakes him. Jonny is up in a flash, grabbing a trashcan from the corner of the room and bringing it to Patrick. Patrick feels Jonny stroking his back soothingly, while his stomach manages to pick up where it left off during practice. Once he’s done, Jonny hands him a cup of water that Bowman apparently went to get him.

  
“Is he okay?” Bowman asks Jonny, as Patrick swishes the water around.

  
“Uh, yeah,” Jonny answers, speaking for the first time since they entered the office. “That’s what we came to talk to you about.”

  
“He’s sick?” Coach Q wonders.

  
“I’m pregnant,” Patrick informs them, deciding to just rip off the band-aid.

  
“Oh.”

  
“Yeah.”

  
“Were you guys planning this?” Coach Q asks, sounding a little irritated. “Because if you were, it would’ve been nice to know beforehand.”

  
“No, no, we weren’t,” Jonny assures them.

  
“It just kinda happened,” Pat tells them. “We weren’t planning on having kids anytime soon.”

  
“Regardless of whether or not they planned it,” Bowman steps in, “it’s happening, and there’s nothing we can do about it now. What we can do, however, is make sure that this is handled the right way, and that Patrick gets the best possible care. Have you been to see a doctor yet?” he directs to Patrick.

  
“I only just found out yesterday,” Patrick informs them. “But Dr. Terry did give me the number of someone who specializes in male pregnancy.”

  
“Perfect,” Bowman says. “How far along are you?”

  
“Two months.”

  
“And as far as the rest of the season goes, I assume that you’re done?” Bowman asks.

  
“Uh, yeah,” Patrick answers, chancing a glance over at Coach, who looks less than pleased with the situation. “Sorry.”

  
“No need to apologize, Pat,” Bowman says, as Jonny retakes Patrick’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “What’s done is done. Let me be the first to congratulate you.” Bowman stands at that, extending his hand first to Patrick, and then to Jonny, then looking expectantly over Coach Quenneville. The Coach rises from his chair and shakes each of their hands as well, offering his reluctant congratulations.

  
Patrick figures it could have been much worse.

 

***

 

They make an announcement to the whole team after the meeting. Patrick feels kind of bad, letting the entire Blackhawks organization in on the news before they’ve told their parents. But there really wasn’t any avoiding it, since questions would start to pop up the more practices and games Patrick missed. Besides, Patrick and Jonathan decided it would be best to tell both of their families together over the Christmas break.

  
Hoss is the first one to come and congratulate Patrick with a hug, which confuses Pat for a second, until he remembers that Hoss was born to two men as well, during a time when it was much less accepted.

  
“Abby is going to be so excited when I tell her,” Sharpy practically yells in Patrick’s ear, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug after Hoss moves on to shake Jonny’s hand. “Your new kid and my new kid will totally grow up together.”

  
“That’s right, Abby’s expecting, too,” Patrick recalls.

  
“Yup,” Sharpy answers excitedly. “Number three!”

  
“Cool,” Pat says, as Sharpy moves to Jonny as well. Seabs comes up after Sharpy, with Duncs following closely behind. “I told you, I was fine.”

  
“Yeah, I guess you are,” Seabs says. “Are you guys ready for this, though?”

  
“I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”

  
“I suppose we will,” Seabs responds.

  
“Well, we’re here for you, whatever you need,” Duncs says, pulling Patrick into a hug.

  
“Thanks,” Patrick says, squeezing Duncs a little.

  
The rest of team comes up to them in twos and threes, both congratulating him and saying they’re gonna miss him on the ice. Patrick is overwhelmed by the support of the team. Not that he was expecting anything less, but it’s nice to know that they’re all behind him and Jonny. Patrick totally does not start crying. He doesn’t.

  
Except he does.

  
Stupid pregnancy hormones.

 

***

 

The last game before they have a couple days break for Christmas is a road game against the Blues.

  
“You could stay here and get us all packed for the trip to Buffalo, I’ll be back before you know it,” Jonny says for the hundredth time that week.

  
“For the love of god, Jonny, I am not staying home,” Patrick responds angrily.

  
“It’s just, the doctor said...”

  
“I know damn well what the doctor said, Jonathan. I was there, remember?” Patrick huffs. “I am only two months along. There is no immediate danger in my taking a short bus trip to St. Louis.” That might not be necessarily true. Patrick had an appointment with the specialist that Dr. Terry recommended and they discovered that he’s carrying twins. Apparently a man carrying twins is even more risky than usual. After they learned that, Jonny became even more protective, barely allowing Patrick to shower alone.

  
“Well, you know how rowdy the guys can get, especially after a win.”

  
“I’m sure they’ll be careful around me,” Patrick responds. “This overprotective thing was cute for like a day. Let it go.”

  
“It’s only gonna get worse, the more time passes,” Jonny tells him.

  
“Yeah, well, knock it off, I’m over it.”

  
“I love you,” Jonny says sweetly.

  
“That’s nice,” Patrick replies. “I’m still going.”

 

***

 

The combined forces of the Kane and Toews families converge to wreak havoc upon Patrick and Jonny’s house in Buffalo on Christmas Eve. Actually, it’s not that many people, only ten, and Patrick and Jonny are used to much more whenever the team gets together. There’s something about the occasion, about the news that they have to break, that makes the room feel crowded once they’re all gathered around the table for the dinner that Andree and Donna have prepared.

  
Once everyone has settled in and started making headway on their plates, general chit chat starts to pick up around the table, Andree and Donna catching up, and David continuing his endless attempts to hit on Erica (“She doesn’t want you, fool,” Pat tells his brother-in-law at least seventeen times a week.) Patrick has no idea how to bring it up, even though he knows this is perfect time, with everyone in one place and general mood of cheeriness among them. The door is thrown wide open for him in the most cliché way possible when Jonny’s dad passes him the bottle of wine and he politely refuses.

  
“What’s the matter, Kaner, pregnant?” Bryan jokes, laughing heartily. Everyone laughs along except for Jonny, who starts choking on the chicken he was chewing on.

  
“Yeah kinda,” Patrick mumbles, thumping Jonny on the back.

  
“Wait, what?” Erica says. “What did you just say, Pat?”

  
“I said yes,” Patrick answers, a little more confidently.

  
“Yes what, dear?” Donna asks sweetly.

  
“Yes, I’m pregnant.”

  
“You’re joking.”

  
“He’s not,” Jonny says, once he’s regained his breath.

  
“No, like, is this for real?” Jessica asks, looking confused.

  
“Uh, yeah,” Patrick answers. “Yeah it is.”

  
The table kinda falls silent at that, with the four parents looking at their sons, each with differing expressions. Bryan looks confused, like he doesn’t understand how his funny joke got ruined; Andree looks like she’s on the verge of tears, Donna just looks worried, and Patrick Sr. looks on with a bemused expression.

  
“Say something? Please?” Kaner begs, looking between both of his parents, then his in-laws.

  
“Congratulations?” David says uncertainly.

  
“Yes congratulations!” Jackie offers enthusiastically, jumping up and hugging her brother and Jonny, and planting kisses on both of their cheeks. “Why are you old people acting like this is the worst news ever? This is exciting! I’m gonna be an auntie!” At that, the rest of the siblings are on their feet, hugging their brothers and offering congratulations, but the parents stay seated.

  
“Are you okay, Pat?” Donna asks, still looking worried. “Male pregnancies are very risky.”

  
“I am,” Patrick answers. “I’m seeing a really great doctor that the team doctor recommended, and he’s got me on a diet and vitamin plan and everything. And this idiot over here is ridiculously overprotective so he’ll make sure that the babies and I...”

  
“Babies? I’m sorry did you just say babies? As in plural? Like more than one?” David asks incredulously.

  
“Two to be exact,” Jonny answers proudly.

  
“That’s even more risky, isn’t it?” Patrick’s father queries.

  
“It is. But like I said, we’ve got it under control,” Patrick promises.

  
“What about the season, dear?” Andree asks.

  
“Well, I’m done for the year, but I’m okay with it,” Patrick responds, but everyone looks unconvinced. “It’s seriously okay. I’m okay, everything is okay. I was kinda hoping that we could, like, celebrate this.”

  
“I think we all just want to make sure you guys are aware of the risks,” Donna explains.

  
“We are,” Patrick replies, starting to get frustrated.

  
“Hey,” Jonny says quietly to Patrick, taking his hand. Then to the rest of their family, “Look, we didn’t plan this. It was just as much of a surprise to us as it is to you. But, we’re making the best of it. We’re excited. So, it’s okay for you guys to be excited, too.” The parents all look at each other, coming to a silent agreement before the moms both get up and hug and kiss their sons. Then Bryan and Patrick Sr. take their turn, Patrick Sr. squeezing his son extra tight.

 

***

 

Much to Patrick’s dismay, morning sickness also includes the early morning hour of three a.m. Once he’s done, he rinses out his mouth and decides to head down to the kitchen for something to settle his stomach. He’s surprised to discover the lights are already on and to hear voices. When he gets into the kitchen, he discovers his sisters, Jessica and Erica sitting at the table with mugs of tea.

  
“Hey,” he greets. “What are you two doing up?”

  
“Could ask you the same,” Erica responds.

  
“Morning sickness,” he says, rubbing his belly.

  
“You’re like, really, actually pregnant,” Jessica says, a voice full of awe. “Like for real.”

  
“Happens to the best of us,” Patrick deadpans, starting water for his own cup of tea.

  
“No but seriously, you can even see a little belly forming,” Erica points out.

  
“You’re reaching,” he responds, self-consciously looking down at his stomach.

  
“Am not,” Erica argues. “Look at you, you have an actual pregnant belly forming, oh my god this is so weird.”

  
“Yeah, well don’t let it keep you up at night,” Patrick warns.

  
“Too late,” Jessica replies, sipping her tea.

  
“Is that what you guys have been up talking about?” Patrick asks.

  
“Well,” Erica starts. “It’s just...you’re pregnant!”

  
“We’ve already established that.”

  
“I know but it’s you,” Jessica says. Patrick just side-eyes the two of them, putting maybe a little too much sugar in his tea. “Since when do you drink tea, anyway?”

  
“Well, yours smells good so,” he answers.

  
“How does it feel?” Erica asks, with awe similar to what Jessica displayed.

 

“I don’t know,” Patrick answers, taking stock of his body. “I don’t feel much different, besides being tired all the time, and the near-constant barfing.”

  
“Can you, like, feel them? The babies, I mean,” Jessica says.

  
“Not really,” Patrick replies. “They’re not big enough to move around yet, so I don’t suppose I’ll really feel them until they are.”

  
“It’s so weird,” Erica says seriously.

  
“I know,” Patrick agrees.

  
“Are you sad that you have to miss the rest of the season?” Jessica asks.

  
“Kinda, yeah,” Patrick answers. “Not as much as I thought I would be, but I’ve only missed a few games. It could get worse the longer the season goes on.” He stops the think about what to say next, his sister looking on, eager for him to continue. “I love Jonny,” he goes on, “and the more I think about it, the more excited I get. Like, I still love hockey, obviously, and I still love the team. But, this is something that goes beyond that, you know? Which is so weird to say out loud, since like five years ago I would’ve said ‘hockey is forever’ or something ridiculous like that. The older I get, the more I realize how untrue that is, though. I’m twenty-eight. I’ve only got a few really good playing years left in me, and then what? Well, this is my ‘then what.’ This, Jonny and these babies and our family. This is what comes after.”

  
“Except it’s coming now,” Erica reminds him.

  
“Yeah, it’s coming now,” Patrick says, more to himself than in response to his sister, his hands finding their way back to his belly. He didn’t want to agree with Erica earlier, but he definitely feels a bump forming.

  
Oh.

 

***

 

January comes, bringing with it a lot of changes. The most noticeable of which being Patrick’s rapidly growing baby bump. Patrick is silently grateful for his affinity for shirts that are a couple sizes too big. He figures he shouldn’t have to worry about his stomach poking through too much in public. His jeans, on the other hand, are all too tight around the waist. He's taken to wearing more of Jonny's pants, grateful, for once, that he's usually at least twenty pounds lighter than his husband. Even those have started to get too tight, though.

  
"I promise you, there’s nothing alarming about your growth rate,” Dr. Johnson assures him after he expresses his concerns during one of his bimonthly checkups. “Men always start to show a little sooner than women, and remember you’re carrying twins. You’re going to be bigger than the average pregnant person throughout, so I’d definitely consider investing in some paternity clothes.”

  
This suggestion from his doctor is what brings about another major change. Deadspin somehow gets a hold of some pictures of Patrick and Johnny shopping in a paternity section in a department store, posting it with the header “A Blackhawks Bun in the Oven???”

  
_Our favorite party-boy-turned-doting-husband Patrick Kane-Toews was seen out on the town yesterday with his captain/husband, Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews. The couple was spotted shopping for paternity clothes at the Macy’s in downtown Chicago. With our beloved Twenny Cent sitting out the last few games before Christmas as well as the first games of the New Year, we’re lead to believe that there is indeed a Blackhawks baby on the way._

  
Patrick gets a phone call from the assistant to the head of PR for the Blackhawks that night while Jonny is washing their dishes from dinner.

  
“Meghan, hi,” Patrick greets, recognizing the number when it comes up on his phone.

  
“Hi, Pat,” Meghan says. “I assume you’ve seen the new post on Deadspin.”

  
“Yeah,” he responds, “they don’t waste any time, do they?”

  
“You of all people should know that,” Meghan answers.

  
“Yeah well, it’s been a couple of years,” Patrick says. “I’m not a rookie anymore after all.”

  
“Could’ve fooled me, with that rookie mistake you and Jon made today,” Meghan comments. “Did you not think that people would notice the two star players, who happen to also be married, out shopping for paternity clothes?”

  
“To be honest, we didn’t really think about that,” Patrick replies. At that, Jonny comes out of the kitchen, a concerned look on his face.

  
“Who’s that?” Jonny asks.

  
“Is that Jonny?” Meghan asks, hearing his voice.

  
“Yeah,” Patrick answers.

  
“Well put him on the phone.”

  
“It’s Meghan from PR,” Patrick tells Jonny. “Hold on, I’ll put you on speaker,” he tells Meghan.

  
“Hello, Meghan,” Jonny greets once Patrick gets the speaker turned on.

  
“Disappointed in you, Jon,” Meghan answers by way of greeting.

  
“Nice to hear from you, too,” Jonny says dryly. “Is this about that article? It was bound to come out eventually.”

  
“Of course it was,” Meghan agrees. “But this makes it look like you’re trying to hide it.”

  
“Hardly,” Patrick interrupts. “I mean, we were out in public after all.”

  
“With all the speculation that’s been going on for the past month with you missing games, and us not giving a clear answer as to why, it’s going to look pretty sketchy,” Meghan continues. “So, we think you should make it public.”

  
“It’s already public now,” Patrick interrupts again.

  
“I mean officially, Patrick,” Meghan replies. “I’m talking a full press conference tomorrow after practice, including an apology to the fans for not telling them sooner, and a promise from you, Jonny, that this isn’t going to affect the play of the team, specifically of their captain.”

  
“Why do I owe anyone an apology? It’s my business,” Patrick argues.

  
“This isn’t like before, when all you had to do was say ‘yeah, we’re together’ and then get back to playing the game as usual,” Meghan tells them. “Having you out for the season directly affects the output of the team, Patrick, and I know you know that. The fans’ main concern, as much as we would like to believe that it's your health and safety, is the output of the team. Suffice it to say a great deal of them are going to be a little miffed about you being out, especially the closer we get to playoffs. They’re going to want an apology, and they’re going to want reassurance, and you guys are going to give it to them. Tomorrow.”

  
Meghan’s tone doesn’t leave room for more discussion. After they’ve said their goodbyes and hung up, Patrick looks over at Jonny.

  
“You okay with this?” Patrick asks. “I know how you feel about stuff like this.”

  
“Yeah,” Jonny answers, running his fingers through his short hair. “I mean, do we really have a choice? It was gonna have to happen eventually, wasn’t it.”

  
“Yeah I guess,” Patrick answers, biting his lips nervously as his phone chimes with a text notification.

  
_Meghan Bower: Be sure to wear one of your new outfits :)_

  
Patrick groans, tossing his phone away from him.

 

***

 

The next morning, Patrick wakes up with Jonny for morning skate. He dresses himself in one of his new outfits, as Meghan suggested, a simple black button down under which he’s wearing a red crew neck. The shirts fit around his chest normally, but they accentuate the shape of his rapidly growing belly. He’s staring at himself in the mirror in their bathroom when Jonny comes to tell him that breakfast is ready.

  
“Wow,” Jonny breathes upon catching Patrick’s reflection in the mirror.

  
“Yeah, I know,” Patrick sighs in response as Jonny comes up behind him, laying his chin on Pat’s shoulder and splaying his hands across Pat’s belly.  

  
“Those are our kids in there,” Jonny says, his voice filled with awe.

  
“Weird isn’t it?” Patrick replies.

  
“Kinda,” Jonny answers. “But also kinda amazing. I never really appreciated it, but now that I can really see it...”

  
“I know what you mean,” Patrick says. “Obviously, I know I’m pregnant, and when I see myself with my shirt off I can see my stomach. But this is something else, showing it off with my clothes on. Other people will be able to tell.”

  
“Not just our little secret anymore,” Jonny breathes, placing a kiss on Patrick’s neck.

  
“You’re okay with that, right?” Patrick asks, removing Jonny’s arms from around him and turning to look him in the eye. “We don’t have to do this if we don’t want to, no matter what PR says.”

  
“Yeah I’m okay,” Jonny assures him. “I actually like the idea of people knowing that we’re starting a family. Are you okay with it though? You seemed pretty bothered about it on the phone with Meghan last night.”

  
“I wasn’t at first,” Patrick tells him. “But the more I think about it, the more okay with it I am. This is just another way for me to show people that I’m yours.”

  
“I love you,” Jonny says, leaning over and kissing Patrick, long and sweet.

  
“Yeah, me too.”

 

***

 

Jonny doesn’t do his usually post-skate interview with BHTV, sending them in Duncs’ direction instead. After showering and dressing, he takes Patrick’s hand and they walk together to the front of the United Center, where a podium is set up for them to make the official announcement.

  
They step outside to a rush of noise. There is significantly more press than usual present, and even more fans, so much so that security has set up partitions to keep them back, something that is usually not necessary after a morning skate. The atmosphere isn’t at all hostile, but that doesn’t stop Patrick from being struck by nerves. He looks over at Jonny, who gives him a small smile and squeezes his hand. After a deep breath, he steps behind the podium and waits for the go ahead to start talking.

  
“Good morning,” he greets. “I, uh, I know that there’s been a lot of speculation as to why I haven’t been on the ice for the past 6 weeks. I, well, we,” he amends, looking back at Jonny, who nods his head encouragingly, “wanted to announce that we’re expecting. I’m pregnant,” he tags at the end, a little lamely. There’s an eruption of noise from both the fans who have gathered, as well as the reporter vying for his attention. It takes a few minutes to get everyone to settle down. A security guard has to step forward to get everyone to quiet so Patrick can start fielding questions.

  
“First of all, congratulations,” the first reporter starts.

  
“Uh, thanks,” Patrick responds with a smile.

  
“Was this a planned pregnancy?” the reporter asks.

  
“No, it wasn’t,” Patrick answers. “It was a surprise to both of us, but it’s happening now and we’re both really excited about it.”

  
“The team has been playing well so far without you, but you’ll be out for the remainder of the season, and probably the start of the next, how will this affect the long term goals of the Blackhawks franchise?” another reporter asks, upon being called on.

  
Jonny steps up to the podium at that point, placing a hand on Patrick’s back. “Kaner is an amazing player, as we all know, and I know that I will especially miss him out there on the ice. We have a team full of amazing players, though, and we’ve already had some players really step it up in his absence, like Shawzy and Frolik. They’ve been big for us, especially in the last couple of games, putting up some great numbers. As long as they continue to produce, and the rest of the team continues to step up their game, we’ll be fine for the rest of the season and in the long run.”

  
“How far along are you?” the same reporter directs to Pat.

  
“Almost four months,” Patrick answers.

  
“Why did you wait so long to make an official announcement?”

  
“There’s really no reason,” Patrick replies. “We found out just before Christmas, and wanted to break the news to family first. But we weren’t trying to hide it.”

  
“You guys got any names picked out?” another reporter asks.

  
“We haven’t really thought about it,” Patrick says, glancing over a Jonny. “We don’t know what we’re having yet, so I guess we’ll figure it out when we get to that point.”

  
There are no more questions after that, so Patrick and Jonny thank everyone for coming and walk off together in the direction of their car. The get some applause and hearty congratulations from a lot of the fans that they pass, stopping to take a few pictures and sign some autographs.

  
“That wasn’t terrible,” Jonny says, once they’ve pulled out of the parking lot. “Everyone seemed supportive at least.”

  
“They’ll be supportive as long as you guys keep playing well,” Patrick reminds him. “The second things start falling apart, they’ll be moaning and groaning. Not saying things will fall apart,” Patrick adds, flinching at the angry look on Jonny’s face. “But they’ll start blaming me if they do.”

  
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Jonny says fiercely. “I don’t want you worrying about the team, Patrick.”

  
“Good luck with that,” Patrick says. “I’m not gonna stop being invested in the team just because I’m not playing right now. I’m still just as much a part of it as you are.”

  
“I know you are,” Jonny agrees. “But your main concern right now should be staying healthy. Added stress can’t be good for you or our babies. I don’t want you to stress out about what people say about us or the team or anything.”

 

“I’m sure I’m supposed to find that sweet or something, but I mostly just want to punch you in your face,” Patrick says, not holding back the sudden surge of annoyance he feels with his husband right now.

  
“Wow, Pat, tell me how you really feel,” Jonny says.

  
“I already did,” Patrick replies. “You’re being unreasonable and I want to punch you. Now drive through McDonald’s and get me a sweet tea before I actually do it.”

  
“You need to stop drinking so many of those, Pat, there’s too much sugar.”

  
“I swear to god I could kill you right now.”

  
“What is wrong with you?”

  
“I want a fucking sweet tea and you’re being a dick.”

  
“How am I being a dick?” Jonny asks incredulously.

  
“Because you’re being all stupid and overprotective and you won’t get me my sweet tea and I hate you,” Patrick tells him, letting it all out in one breath. Jonny looks over at him for a second, then starts busting up laughing. “What the hell are you laughing at? Keep your eyes on the road, douchebag.”

  
“I’m sorry,” Jonny says, calming down and wiping tears from his eyes. “You realize what’s happening right?” he asks, as he pulls the car through the McDonald’s drive thru.

  
“No, what?” Patrick responds, confused.

  
“You’re being hormonal,” Jonny replies simply, as he rolls down the window to order Patrick’s sweet tea.

  
“I am not,” Pat denies. “And get me some french fries, too.”

  
“Whatever you say, babe.”

 

***

 

January passes into February through a haze of fan mail with baby gifts, magazine articles with paparazzi shots of Patrick’s ever-growing baby bump, and mood swings and cravings cured only by sweet tea and french fries.

  
Jonny stops letting Patrick go on road trips altogether after Doctor Johnson tells him that his second trimester is a very crucial time for the babies’ development.

  
“Jonathan please, it’s not like I can’t still fly,” Patrick argues, as Jonny is packing for the team’s trip to California. “That’s not until my third trimester.”

  
“No, Patrick,” Jonny says sternly. “You heard what the doctor said. You don’t need to take any unnecessary risks.” Patrick opens his mouth to argue further, but shuts it after a stern look from his husband. “Look,” Jonny says, softening his tone and his expression, “I know that you want to be there to show your support, and I’m gonna miss you like crazy. But, there is nothing more important than your health right now. So, please just do this for me.”

  
All the fight is worn out of Patrick by the pleading look in Jonny’s eyes. “I’m gonna miss you, though,” Patrick pouts. “What am I supposed to do while you’re gone for a week?”

  
“I know, I’m gonna miss you too, babe,” Jonny says, kissing the pout off of Pat’s face. “Why don’t you go hang out with Abby? She could probably use some help with Madelyn and Matthew while Sharpy’s gone, and that’ll be good practice for you.”

  
“What about you?” Patrick asks. “You need just as much practice as I do.”

  
“I’ve been raising rookies for ten years,” Jonny reminds him. “Raising twins can’t be much harder.”

  
“You’re an idiot,” Patrick informs him.

  
“An idiot that you love?”

  
“I wouldn’t count on it.”

 

***

 

The next morning Patrick does get in contact with Abby Sharp, and they decide to go out to lunch then catch the game against the Kings together that afternoon.

  
When he shows up to the cafe they agreed on, Abby is already there, wrestling two year old Matthew into a high chair, a feat made more impressive by the six month baby bump she’s sporting.

“Here, let me help you,” Patrick says, rushing over to her.

  
“No, I got it,” she says, finally getting the toddler to settle down, and snapping him into the chair.

  
“He’s looking more and more like Sharpy every day,” Patrick marvels, taking in Matthew’s bright blue eyes and unruly brown hair.

  
“Yeah, and unfortunately for me he’s starting to act more and more like him, too,” Abby laments.

  
“My deepest sympathies,” Patrick jokes, kissing Abby’s cheek then moving to sit across from her in the booth.

  
“Thank you,” Abby replies solemnly. “Well let me get a look at you.”

  
“Nothing to see here,” Patrick says dismissively.

  
“Nonsense,” Abby objects. “S’not every day I get to see a star right winger walking around with a belly.” Patrick stands up with a groan and turns to the side so Abby can get the full effect. “Well shit,” she says.

  
“Thanks a lot,” Patrick grumbles, retaking his seat.

  
“I’m sorry,” Abby laughs heartily, digging around in Matthew’s diaper bag and producing some cereal for him to munch on. “It’s just. Well, you’re kinda huge, Peeks.”

  
“You’re not looking too petite there yourself, Abigail,” Patrick retorts, just as their waiter arrives to take their order. “I’ll have a bacon cheeseburger, extra salt on the fries, please, and the largest sweet tea you can bring me.”

  
“Eating like that, it’s no wonder you’ve gotten so big,” she tells him after placing her own order. “And I’m almost seven months along; you can’t be any more than five.”

  
“I’ll be five months next week,” he informs her. “And if I don’t get to play hockey, I’m sure as hell gonna eat whatever I want. The doctor said it’s normal for men to show a little sooner than women, especially when they’re carrying twins.”

  
“Wait, what?” Abby exclaims, turning her attention away from baby Matt and back to Patrick. “You’re having twins? Patrick didn’t tell me that you guys are having twins! Why didn’t anyone tell me you guys are having twins?”

  
“Calm down, woman,” Patrick says. “We haven’t told anyone except for family.”

  
“Trying to surprise everyone?” Abby asks.

  
“Not necessarily,” Patrick answers. “Everyone knows I’m pregnant, they’ll figure out it’s twins after I have them I guess.”

  
“That’s super exciting,” Abby says. “Do you have names picked out yet?”

  
“Not yet,” he tells her. “We find out what I’m having at my next appointment when Jonny gets back. I guess we’ll figure it out when the time comes. What about you? Having another girl, right?”

  
“That’s what the doctor said,” Abby answers. “We’re thinking about naming her Madison.”

  
“Maddy, Matty, and Madi,” Patrick says, shaking his head in disbelief.

  
“Gotta stick with what works,” Abby replies.

  
They don’t say anything for a while after their food gets brought out to them. Abby is preoccupied with trying to feed Matthew and herself at the same time, and Patrick is engrossed with his cheeseburger.

  
“Do you miss him yet?” Abby asks out of nowhere.

  
“They’ve only been gone for a day,” Patrick reminds her, not needing clarification.

  
“That wasn’t the question.”

  
“Yeah, I know,” Patrick concedes. “It’s just ridiculous that I should already miss him this much and it’s not even been a full twenty-four hours yet.”

  
“It gets easier,” Abby assures him. “I was miserable every time he had to leave on a road trip, especially when I was pregnant with Madelyn. I know it must be harder for you since you’re used to being able to go with him, especially since you have to give up playing, too.”

  
“It’s not even really about the game, though,” Patrick tells her. “Don’t get me wrong, I miss playing a lot, but I decided months ago that this was more important than hockey.”

  
“That’s very,” Abby starts, hesitating, “adult of you,” she finally finishes.

  
“I know, right?” Patrick agrees. “Before Jonny, hockey was really the only thing that mattered. I mean, I had relationships before him, you know, but none of them ever really meant as much. Which, obviously, since I married the guy and everything. But like, the older I get, the more of my life I spend with him, the more important he becomes. And hockey becomes less and less important to me. I still love it; it will always be a part of who I am. But sometimes, like when we go to my doctor’s appointments and he can hear the heartbeat, or whenever anyone says anything about the babies, he’ll get this look on his face, like he’s the happiest man in the world. And I think to myself ‘I’ll have a thousand more babies to keep that look on his face.’”

  
“You really love him.”

  
“More than I thought was possible.”

  
“What about you, though?” Abby asks. “You talk about how all this makes Jonny happy, and you want him to be happy. But, like, how are you feeling about all of this?”

  
“Honestly,” Patrick starts, “I’m a little nervous. Well, actually, I’m extremely nervous.”

  
“About childbirth or parenthood or what?”

  
“All of the above,” Patrick answers. “Like, we’ve already planned on delivering by C-section, and Doctor Johnson is one of the best in the field, but still. They’re going to be cutting open my stomach and taking humans out of it. Like, what even is that?”

  
“You’re not the first person to ever have a cesarean, Peeks,” Abby reminds him.

  
“I know that,” Patrick replies. “But still, it’s weird. And then I’m supposed to, like, take care of those humans after that. Like raise them? And I know I’ve done a lot of growing up over the years, but really, who in their right mind would trust me with the welfare of other human beings? My mother never even let babysit my sisters from fear she would come home to three less children.”

  
“You don’t sound any different than Patrick did when I was pregnant with Maddy,” Abby informs him. “All first time parents freak out about that. You know what you were saying about how Jonny becomes more and more important, the more time you spend with him? Well, those feelings are gonna transfer right over to your children. From the first time you feel them move, to the first time you hold them in your arms, and then forever after that, there will never be anyone more important to you, and you will do everything in your power to keep them happy and safe and healthy.”

  
They finish their lunch in relative silence, then Abby has to go pick up Madelyn from school. Patrick arrives at their house a couple of hours later with take out for them to eat while watching the Blackhawks play the Kings. They end up losing 5-2.

  
Patrick sticks around for the post-game interviews, and Jonny, who was not at his best tonight, gets stopped in the locker room.

  
“You looked pretty distracted out there tonight,” the reporter mentions, and Jonny looks appropriately chagrined.

 

“Yeah, I, uh, my head wasn’t in it, and that’s completely my fault,” Jonny replies. “It won’t happen again when we play the Ducks on Friday.”

  
“This have anything to do with Patrick Kane not being in the stands tonight?”

  
“Kane-Toews,” Jonny corrects, because of course he does, “and I’ve played without him there before, so there’s no need to worry. Like I said, it won’t happen again.”

  
“Uncle Jonny misses you, Uncle Peeks,” Madelyn says, as her mother turns the TV off after the reporters have moved on.

  
“Don’t have any sympathy for him, Maddy Bear,” Patrick tells her. “He’s the one who made me stay behind.”

  
After he gets home that night, he sends Jonny a text.

  
_get ur head in the game tazer_

  
_Jonny: I was worried about you._

  
_no need 2 b. i was w/ Abby and the kids_

 

_Jonny: I know. I just don’t like being away from you. Especially now._

  
_i dnt like it either. dnt let it affect ur game tho_

  
_Jonny: I won’t, I promise. You told Abby we’re having twins._

  
_she called me fat :(_

  
_Jonny: You are though._

  
_-____-_

  
_Jonny: hahahahahahahhah_

  
_theres not enough sweet tea in the world to make me love you again_

  
_Jonny: What about french fries?_

  
_nope_

  
_Jonny: Back massages?_

  
_im nvr letting u touch me again_

  
_Jonny: Well, it’s a good thing I’ve already got you pregnant._

  
_i hate u so much_

  
_Jonny: I love you, though._

  
_i love u 2 i guess_

  
_Jonny: Good night, babe._

  
_goodnight_

  
The Blackhawks go on to beat the Ducks that Friday and then the Sharks that following Sunday.

 

***

 

Jonny returns home the following Monday evening, and Patrick is waiting for him in the living room.

  
Jonny barely has time to drop his bags by the door before Patrick is backing him back against the wall, which Jonny hits a little harder than Patrick attended with a small _umph_ as their lips connect. Jonny doesn’t acknowledge any pain he might feel, instead he deepens their kiss almost instantly, his hands coming to rest on their new favorite spot: the swell of Patrick’s abdomen. Patrick wraps his arms around Jonny’s neck, pulling him down to make the kiss even deeper, making his intent known. Once he’s sure that Jonny knows he’s not going anywhere, Patrick’s lips move away from Jonny’s, kissing a trail from his chin and down his neck, unbuttoning Jonny’s shirt as he goes. Patrick kisses as far down Jonny’s chest as his newly-altered center of gravity allows, before kissing his way back up to Jonny’s lips. Jonny slips him tongue immediately, and Patrick backs up just enough to give himself room to start work on removing Jonny’s pants. Once he’s got the belt undone and is pulling down the zipper, he feels Jonny’s hands on him, working to get the T-shirt he’s wearing off. Patrick stops then, stepping further away from Jonny and staring into his eyes, shaking his head ‘no.’

  
Jonny doesn’t say anything in response, just stares into Patrick’s eyes with intensity. Not the kind of intensity he gets when he’s on the ice or in the locker room fulfilling his captain duties, but the kind he gets when he’s struck anew with how much in love with Patrick he is. Patrick used to get really confused at first, because he didn’t understand why Jonny looked at him like that, and then, after he understood, because he didn’t understand what he did to deserve to have someone like Jonny love him the way he does. Now, though, he just stares back, and tries to convey ‘I love you, too’ as much as possible without actually saying the words.

  
Patrick holds his hands out, palms facing Jonny. Jonny, still staring at Patrick like he’s only thing in the world, takes Patrick’s hands, lacing their fingers together. Patrick uses the support to get down to his knees, keeping eye contact with his husband the whole way down. Once he’s settled as comfortably on his knees as possible, he continues his work on Jonny’s pants, finally getting them, along with Jonny’s boxers, down to his ankles. He places a hand at the base of Jonny’s semi-hard cock, taking it into his mouth and using his other hand to tease Jonny’s balls. He savors the feel of Jonny’s cock as it hardens, loving the way it swells to fill his mouth. Patrick pulls off almost all the way, leaving just his lips around the tip to suck at it and lick at the slit the way that he knows Jonny likes. He pulls off completely and looks up at Jonny grinning mischievously.

  
“You wanna fuck my face?”

  
“ _Fuck_ ,” Jonny hisses, and his hands, which were clenched into fists at his side, find their way into Patrick’s hair, his fingers finding purchase in the curls. He starts a slow rhythm, but Patrick knows it’s not going to stay that way. Jonny loves Patrick’s mouth, specifically his lips and the way they look wrapped around his dick, so it won’t be long before he gets lost in the visual and loses control. Patrick latches his hands onto Jonny’s legs, his fingers digging into the muscle for support, and allows Jonny to use his mouth.

  
Jonny is so careful at first, almost as if he’s afraid of hurting Patrick, but Patrick just looks up at him encouragingly. Jonny looks down at him and, just as Pat predicted, can’t control himself after catching sight of the way his dick looks sliding in and out of Patrick’s mouth. He loses his rhythm after that, his fingers tugging at Patrick’s curls hard enough to pull at his scalp. He’s mumbling, more to himself than to Patrick, going between French and English, talking about how perfect Patrick’s mouth is and how much he loves it.

  
“ _Si chaud, si humide_ ,” he’s saying. “So perfect.”

  
Jonny gives Patrick’s hair a particularly hard tug just as Patrick feels Jonny’s cock begin to pulse. Patrick pulls off then and closes his eyes as Jonny’s come splatters on his face. He moves his hands to Jonny’s cock and strokes him through the aftershock.

  
“Wait here,” Jonny says once he’s regained his composure.

  
“Oh yeah sure no problem,” Pat yells after him. “I’ll just sit here with your come drying on my face. Not like I could get up and do anything about it, anyhow.”

  
“I know,” Jonny says. “I’m gonna help you up, just let me do this first.”

  
“I hope you’re not trying to take a picture,” Patrick warns. “You know how Sharpy likes to go through our phones.”

  
“I won’t need a picture to remember this, believe me,” Jonny tells him. “Here.” Jonny takes Patrick’s chin in one hand and starts wiping his face tenderly with a wet towel. Once Patrick feels his face is clean, he opens his eyes Jonny leans in for a kiss. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

  
“What? Couldn’t find anyone out west to do that for you?” Patrick jokes.

  
“You know, I didn’t think to look,” Jonny tells him.

  
“Oh? Why not?”

  
“Because I knew the only one I’d ever want was waiting for me at home.”

  
“I knew it! I knew you had some floozy up there in Winnipeg,” Patrick exclaims, playing scandalized.

  
“Patrick, please.”

  
“Oh, you mean _me_? Well, I am the best.”

  
“You really are,” Jonny says, helping Patrick to his feet. “I love you so much.”

  
“As well you should,” Patrick says with a smirk.

 

***

 

The following day, Patrick goes to practice with Jonny so they can ride together to his doctor’s appointment afterwards. It’s lucky for him that he’s been comfortable with most of these guys for years, because they all crowd around him while he’s waiting for Jonny to shower and change, each of them taking turns exclaiming over how big he’s gotten and taking turns to rub his belly.

  
“Excuse you all,” Sharpy says, breaking through the crowd of his teammates to get to where Patrick is sitting, “as self-appointed godfather and favorite uncle to the twin Peekaboos, I get the first belly rub of the day. Hello little monsters,” he coos at Patrick’s stomach, “I can’t wait to meet you and spoil you and dress you in number ten jerseys.”

  
“Get away from me, dickface” Patrick says, pushing Sharpy away from him. “You have enough kids of your own to dress in your jersey. I think my kids will wear mine, thanks very much.”

  
“Can never have enough little Sharps running around,” Sharpy informs him.

  
“We’ll leave Abby to deal with your little Sharp,” Jonny says slyly from behind Sharpy.

  
“That joke is as predictable as it is unfunny,” Sharpy responds.

  
“You would know, seeing as you’re the king of all things predictable and unfunny,” Shawzy chimes in, causing laughter among his teammates.

  
“Pipe down, Mutt,” Sharpy commands. “No one asked you.”

  
“Just sayin’,” Shawzy says, with a shrug of his shoulders.

  
“If you guys are quite finished, we do have somewhere to be,” Jonny reminds them all, helping Patrick out of his seat.

  
“Finally gonna find out what they’re gonna be?” Seabs asks.

  
“Yeah we should,” Patrick tells them.

  
“Be sure to let us know,” Duncs says.

  
“We will,” Patrick promises, and everyone yells ‘goodbye’ as they walk out the door.

 

***

 

Patrick never considered himself a really emotional kind of guy. Before he got pregnant, the only time he could remember himself crying as an adult was when they won the Stanley Cup in 2010, and again in 2013. And of course when he and Jonny got married. Now he finds himself crying at the drop of a dime; whenever he watches Breaking Dawn Part 1, whenever the Blackhawks win, whenever the Blackhawks lose, and whenever he sees an ultrasound picture of his babies.

  
He’s sitting in the chair in the exam room at Dr. Johnson’s office, with the freaking cold gel on his stomach, staring teary-eyed at the picture of his babies on the screen.

  
“You want to know the sex,” Dr. Johnson asks them. Patrick looks through his tears up at Jonny, who isn’t crying, but still has a huge smile on his face. Jonny looks at the doctor and nods his head. “Looks like you’re having two girls.”

  
“Girls,” Jonny breathes.

  
“Yupp,” the doctor affirms with a smile. “And everything is looking good. They’re developing right on schedule and Patrick’s looking good as well. Twins typically come a little earlier. I reckon you have maybe another three months. We should probably think about planning your delivery for some time in early June.”

  
“Maybe mid-June?” Jonny asks.

  
“Feeling confident about your Stanley Cup chances?” Dr. Johnson asks with a grin.

  
“Well, uh, we’ve been playing really well. We gotta get through the rest of the regular season and playoffs obviously, but, it can’t hurt to plan ahead,” Jonny tells him, a little uncertainly.

  
“I’ll see what we can do about getting you an appointment for around June 15th,” the doctor says, “but don’t be surprised if they decide to come before then. I’ll go have these pictures printed up for you. They’ll be waiting for you with my receptionist, whenever you’re ready.” He gathers his things and walks out of the room after shaking both of their hands.

  
“Girls,” Patrick says, wiping his tears and breaking his silence for the first time since the doctor told them.

  
“Yeah, I know,” Jonny says, beaming brightly.

  
“What are we gonna do with girls?”

  
“Raise them.”

  
“No shit,” Patrick retorts. “You know what I mean.”

  
“Don’t worry about it,” Jonny tells him. “Between our mothers and all your sisters, we’ll be fine.”

  
“Yeah, you’re right. I just. Girls.”

  
“Yupp. Girls.”

 

***

 

On the ride home (which obviously includes a stop through Mickey D’s for the usual), Patrick calls his mother, who puts his dad on speakerphone, and tells them the news. His mother gets all teary like she does every time they talk about the babies, and his dad just laughs at him and says, “Two girls, huh? Now you’ll understand my struggle over the past twenty-five years.” Jonny’s speaking in French to Andree on his Bluetooth while he drives them, telling her the news as well.

  
After he’s done with his parents, he sends a mass text to his sisters with the same word he’s been repeating to himself over and over again for the past half hour.

  
_Girls._

  
_Jess: OMG YESSS :-D_

  
_Erica: PERFECT YES GOOD_

  
_Jackie: THE LINE OF KANE WOMEN LIVES ON CAN I GET A HOO-RAH_

  
_Jess/Erica: HOO-RAH_

  
_sry 2 break it 2 u girls but im growing toews babies in here_

  
_Erica: NOT IF WE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT_

  
_Jess: THESE GIRLS ARE KANES PATTY K A N E S_

  
_Jackie: They’ll probably be born with curly blond hair and blue eyes aww bless_

  
_now i see wut dad was talkin about. u ppl r insane_

  
_Jess: and now theres gonna be more of us HOO-RAH_

  
_Erica/Jackie: HOO-RAH_

  
_im done w/ u crazies_

  
“What are your sisters saying?” Jonny asks him, handing him his sweet tea and bag of fries.

  
“They insist that our daughters are actually Kane women, even though I reminded them that we’re all Toewses.”

  
“Yeah well, I’m sure they’ll still be Kanes through and through,” Jonny says.

  
“Only if you’re really lucky,” Patrick tells him. “What were you telling Maman?”

  
“Just that we’re having girls,” Jonny tells him, going for nonchalant, “and that I was gonna ask you if we could name one of them after her.” Jonny sends a quick hopeful glance in Pat’s direction before turning his eyes back on the road.

  
“Oh,” Patrick breathes. “Yeah, I guess we should start thinking about names now, huh?”

  
“Yeah, probably,” Jonny agrees. “If you’re not okay with naming one of them after my mom, I totally understand.”

  
“No, don’t be silly, of course we can,” Patrick assures him. “Would it be okay if maybe we used it as a middle name though? I kinda like the idea of them having the same first initial and the name I was thinking doesn’t start with an ‘a’.”

  
“Oh,” Jonny says thoughtfully. “Yeah that would be nice. I’m sure Maman would like that. What name were you thinking?”

  
“I really like the name Rose,” Patrick tells him.

  
“Patrick,” Jonny says, stopping at a red light and looking sternly over at him. “We are not naming our daughter after Derrick Rose.”

  
“Why not?” Patrick complains. “He’s like my best friend.”

  
“He is not your best friend. You hardly know the guy.”

  
“Excuse you, we were neighbors for years before I moved in with you,” Patrick reminds him. “We’re totally BFFs. You were always jealous of our friendship.”

  
“You’re ridiculous.”

  
“Whatever, you’re just a hater.”

  
“How about we both agree on first names,” Jonny offers, “and then I’ll use the beautiful respectable name of my mother as the middle name for one.”

  
“And I’ll use the last name of a future NBA hall of famer for the other.”

  
Jonny looks like he’s already regretting this decision, but what-the-freak-ever okay? He’s lucky Patrick is even letting him have a say in this at all.

 

***

 

One morning in the middle April, Patrick’s in the shower, washing his hair and singing some old Beyoncé tune really loudly (and badly, as Jonny would say, but he’s rude so…) when he feels pressure against his stomach. He’s confused at first, looking around to see what he might have bumped into, and then he feels the pressure again. He realizes that he pressure is coming from the inside and starts to freak out. Patrick jumps out of the shower, as much as his heavier frame allows him to at least, and runs, naked and dripping onto the floor, out of the bathroom.

  
“Jonny!” he yells. “Jonny the babies, they’re...” He trails off, remembering that Jonny is at morning skate. He’s torn between rushing to the United Center to tell Jonny and waiting to get home for like one second before he decides that he can’t wait. He goes back to the bathroom to dry off and dresses quickly, jumping in his car and heading off to the skate within ten minutes.

  
Patrick rushes into the arena, just as the team is filing off of the ice and heading to the lockers.

  
“Hey, Kaner,” Shawzy greets, the first to catch sight of Patrick.

  
“Hey,” Patrick returns. “Where’s Tazer?”

  
“He’s probably in the locker room,” Shawzy tells him. “He was the first off the ice. Is everything okay?”

  
“Yeah, it’s fine,” Patrick assures him, thanking Shawzy and making his way to the locker room. “Jonny!” he yells again once he’s made it there.

  
“Kaner, what’s the matter?” Jonny says, a little frantically, coming up to him and looking him up and down. “Is everything okay?”

  
“Everything’s perfect,” Patrick tells him. “The babies kicked!”

  
Jonny looks confused for a second, and then it dawns on him. “They kicked?”

  
“Yes!” Patrick affirms. “I was just standing there washing my hair singing Beyoncé, as one does, and they were so overwhelmed by the beauty of my voice that they kicked.”

  
“They probably kicked you to get you shut up.” Sharpy, of course. “I know I’ve been tempted to do so a time or two.”

  
“Shut up, Sharpy, this is, like, important,” Duncs scolds, but Patrick isn’t paying them any attention. He only has eyes for Jonny, who’s kneeling in front of Patrick with his hands on his belly.

  
“ _Bonjour mes amours,_ ” Jonny is saying. “ _Papa vous aime_.” Patrick feels the pressure again and looks down at Jonny, who looks up at him with an awestruck grin so wide it looks as if his face might split in two. “Patrick...”

  
“Yeah, I know,” Patrick says. “I felt it.”

  
Those of the team that are in the locker room crowd around the two of them, demanding a chance to feel the babies kick. Jonny won’t give up his spot in front of Patrick, though. He gives them his captain stare, and they all back off.

  
They go home shortly after, and Patrick goes to bed with Jonny for his pregame nap, even though he’s not slightly tired. Jonny gives up his usual spot cuddled up behind Patrick to with his head near Pat’s stomach, pressing light kisses there and speaking to the daughters in French, telling them how much he already loves them.

  
The Blackhawks clinch their playoff spot against the Wild that night, shutting them out 4-0.

 

***

 

The last game of the season is against the Oilers on Jonny’s birthday. The Oilers have had a very good season in their own right, making the playoffs for the third season in a row under the leadership of Captain Taylor Hall, and his alternates Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. It’s bound to be an exciting game, so of course Patrick is unable to attend.

  
Abby went into labor early that morning, and still wasn’t ready to deliver by the time Sharpy had to leave for the United Center, so Patrick volunteers to stay behind with her, while her mother keeps Madelyn and Matthew entertained at their house.

  
“I owe you one, Peeks,” Sharpy tells him, dropping a kiss onto Abby’s forehead.

  
The game is just as intense as expected, each team fighting for a win to have some momentum carry them into the post-season. Both Pat’s and Abby’s husbands score a goal in the first period, but going into the first intermission it’s tied up at two, after some pretty spectacular plays from Taylor Hall and Sam Gagner.

  
The second period is all about the goalies. Each team takes some pretty awesome shots, but both Crow and the Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin make truly amazing saves, and the game is still 2-2 going into second intermission.

  
Five minutes into the third Nugent-Hopkins scores on a pass from Eberle, and the Oilers take their first lead of the game. As Pat and Abby are commiserating, Abby's doctor comes in. After checking her out, she informs them that Abby is fully dilated and ready to deliver.

  
"Um, can we maybe wait another, like twenty minutes?" Abby asks through clenched teeth.

  
"I don't think so, Mrs. Sharp," the doctor says. "Looks like little Madison is ready to come out."

  
"She can't wait like, just a few more minutes?" Patrick pleads. "The game is really....AHHHH YES GO BABY GO!" Just as Kaner is making his case to the doctor, Jonny steals the puck and is on a breakaway. He slaps the puck back to Frolik who comes up behind him and nets it over the goalie's left shoulder. With the game tied at three, Patrick looks questioningly down at Abby, who just nods her head, her teeth still clenched through her discomfort. "Ok, we're ready to go now."

  
Madison Sharp is born at eight pounds, six ounces at 9:37 pm, as her father and his team are celebrating their 4-3 win after shootout. She's given the middle name Jane in honor of her godfathers Jonathan Toews, who scored the tying goal, and Patrick Kane-Toews, who stayed with her mother in the delivery room when she was born.

 

***

 

The Blackhawks sweep the Blues out of the first round; because it’s the cup, and there was no way that they were going to let an inferior team hinder their path. Fortunately, the Kings pushed the Ducks to a seventh game, so the team gets a couple of extra days off.

  
The Saturday of the second week of May, they have training in the morning, but then the rest of the day off, so the team decides to get together at Sharpy’s for some bonding and also a chance for everyone to meet baby Madison.

  
“Patrick, please get up,” Jonny pleads for the fifth time since getting home from practice.

  
“I won’t,” Patrick says stubbornly from the bed where has been since after dinner the night before and where he has every intention of staying.

  
“It’s team bonding, Pat,” Jonny reminds him. “You’re part of the team.”

  
“Yeah, a huge part,” Patrick says snidely.

  
“Patrick...”

  
“I can’t even see my feet anymore, Jonny! I cannot see my feet and that means that I won’t be able to tell if my shoes match. I could walk out in one dress shoe and one flip flop and never even know it. I’m not walking out of this condo.”

  
“I wouldn’t let you walk out like that,” Jonny promises. “Besides, you didn’t have a problem with it just last week.”

  
“The power of the cup compelled me, Jonathan,” Patrick informs him. “It would not allow me to sit idly at home while my team was out there doing battle. But there is no such calling today, Jon. No reason for me to leave. So I won’t. You have fun, though.”

  
“The team wants you there.”

  
“That’s a truly sad story you just told me.”

  
“I could just carry you out,” Jonny threatens.

  
“Yeah, no, you’re not that strong.”

  
“I’m not leaving without you, Pat.”

  
“That’s your choice,” Patrick says, crossing his arms defiantly. Jonny stares intensely at Patrick, looking irritated and working his jaw like he’s torn between whether or not to leave Patrick where he is.

  
“They’re throwing you a baby shower, you idiot,” Jonny spits out. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but you’re being difficult. Now will you please get out of bed so we can leave?”

  
“A baby shower? Like with gifts and games and people fussing over my stomach?”

  
“Something like that, yeah,” Jonny answers.

  
“Yeah, I’ll pass.”

  
“I’ll be waiting in the living room.”

  
“I’m not going.”

  
“I saw the way your eyes lit up when you remembered that all the attention will be on you.”

 

“You don’t know my life.”

  
“I’ll see you in fifteen minutes.”

  
Patrick is ready in ten.

 

***

 

“Can you at least act surprised?” Jonny begs, as they’re walking up the driveway to Sharpy’s door.

  
“Oh yeah, don’t even trip, I got this,” Pat promises, practicing his surprised faces in his reflection in Jonny’s glasses.

  
“You’re an idiot,” Jonny tells him, without any venom. Patrick knows Jonny is amused by him, it’s part of the reason why Jonny loves him so much.

  
Jonny rings the bell, and Sharpy opens the door, with baby Madison in his arms. “It’s about freaking time.”

  
“Yeah, sorry,” Patrick apologizes. “Jonny was impossible to convince to get out of bed.”

  
“Keep the sordid details of your love life to yourself,” Sharpy commands, leading them through the house. “Though, based on the state of things, I guess I already know how things go.”

  
“Um, fuck you, fuckface,” Patrick retorts. “You don’t know shit.”

  
“Yeah uh huh,” Sharpy says, opening the door that leads to the backyard. “Everyone look who’s here!”

  
Patrick and Jonny step out behind him, and everyone yells “Surprise!” and damnit Patrick starts crying. He was totally planning on giving everyone crap for trying to surprise him, but instead he really is surprised. It looks like everyone Patrick knows in Chicago is there; all of his teammates, their wives and girlfriends and children, the coaches and management and their families. Even Jonny’s friend TJ Oshie is there, even though the Blackhawks just beat his team in the playoffs. Patrick’s friend Tyler Seguin, whose team just got eliminated two days before, and his boyfriend Tyler Brown, a player in the AHL, are there as well.

  
There are red, black, and white balloons tied all over the place, and large banner hanging on the side of the pool house with Blackhawks mascot and the words “Blackhawks Baby Girls!” and a cake with the same design.

  
“Aww we made little Peekaboo cry,” Sharpy says.

  
“Not so hard to do these days,” Patrick says, wiping his face. “Wow, thanks a lot, Sharpy, seriously. Thanks everyone. Umm, yeah wow. Thanks.”

  
“Think nothing of it, Peeks,” Sharpy says, giving him a light punch on the shoulder, then heading out to mingle.

  
“You okay?” Jonny asks Patrick, wrapping an arm around his waist and leading him towards the food set up.

  
“Yeah, this is just really cool,” Patrick answers. “I wasn’t expecting to be so overwhelmed.” They go around thanking everyone for coming and accepting their congratulations. After they’ve gone around to everyone, Patrick takes a seat in a lounge chair by the pool, where Madelyn and some of the other players’ kids are swimming and Jonny goes to make him a plate.

  
“Kanerrrrrrr,” Segs greets, putting out his fist for Patrick to bump.

  
“What up Segs,” Pat greets, meeting Tyler’s fist with his own. “How’ve you been, bro?”

  
“Oh you know, could be better,” Segs answers. “But I’m glad I could be here.”

  
“You guys literally just lost, you must have caught a flight pretty quick,” Patrick says.

  
“Yeah,” Segs replies. “I had a voicemail from Tazer pretty much as soon as I got home from the game Thursday night, asking if I’d be able to make it up here. So, I went and grabbed my boy yesterday and we flew in last night.”

  
“How’s everything going with you guys?”

  
“We’re doing fine. I don’t get to see him much during the season, but we work through it,” Tyler answers. “But enough about me. Look at you. You’re huge!”

  
“Fuck you,” Pat retorts. “I could still beat your ass, dickwad.”

  
“You couldn’t catch me even when you weren’t lugging around that stomach,” Tyler laughs.

  
“I don’t have to, I’ll set my attack dog on you,” Patrick says, waving over towards where Jonny is talking to Coach Q, probably about strategy for their upcoming series against the Kings.

 

“I’m not afraid of him.”

  
“Well, you should be.”

  
“No, but seriously,” Tyler says. “How have you been, man? You’re like really pregnant. Like, with actual babies."

  
“Yeah, I know,” Patrick groans as he endures the now familiar sensation of his daughters moving around inside of him.

  
“What’s the matter?”

  
“Nothing,” Patrick assures him. “They’re just moving around a bit.”

  
“Whoa,” Tyler says, awestruck. “Can I feel?”

  
“Uh, yeah sure,” Patrick says. Tyler kneels down next to the lounge chair and places both hands on Patrick’s stomach.

  
“That’s so weird,” he says.

  
“You’re telling me.”

  
“You guys got names picked out yet?” Tyler asks.

  
“Middle names,” Patrick tells him. “We haven’t quite settled on first names yet.”

  
“You might want to get on that,” Tyler says. “You look like you’re about to pop any second now.”

  
“I still have another month at least, fuck you very much,” Patrick says.

  
“Could’ve fooled me, be careful not to go into labor today.”

  
“You’re dismissed,” Patrick says with a wave of his hand. Tyler backs away with a bow as Jonny comes up, finally bringing him his food. “What took you so long? I am starving and also carrying your children.”

  
“Yeah, I know, sorry,” Jonny says, handing Patrick his plate and leaning over to kiss his forehead. “Coach wanted to talk strategy. What was Segs talking about?"

  
"Being his usual self," Patrick tells him.

  
"A dick?"

  
"A dick," Patrick confirms.

  
The gift opening is a complete disaster, because it's obvious that none of the Blackhawks have ever been to a baby shower. They all bombard Patrick and Jonny, demanding that their present be opened first. Even though they get all the usual gifts of diapers and bottles and blankets and other necessities, they also get mini jerseys with each of their teammates names and numbers on the back.

  
“You people are ridiculous,” Jonny says, as Patrick opens the last gift, a bath time kit, coupled by a number fifty-two Brandon Bollig jersey. “I guess we’ll have to get our own jerseys made for the girls."

  
“You won’t have to worry about that,” Stan says, presenting another bag for Patrick to open. Inside are two tiny Blackhawks jerseys, one with the number nineteen, and the other with an eighty-eight; both with the name Toews over it. “I had a feeling these boys would pull something like this, so I wanted to make sure your kids had some jerseys with their daddies’ numbers on it.”

  
“Thanks so much Stan,” Patrick says sincerely. “Thank you everyone. Made me feel all special and loved and stuff. Don’t you feel special and loved, Jonny?”

  
“Uh, yeah,” Jonny answers lamely.

  
“What, no speech?” Sharpy yells from where he’s wrestling with Matthew, trying to get him to eat a hotdog. “The one time we actually want to hear one? You disappoint me. OUCH DAMN IT MATT!” Matt decided that the hotdog was of no interest to him and took a bite out of his dad’s finger instead.

  
“I really don’t know what to say,” Jonny says.

  
“First time for everything,” Bollig interrupts.

  
“Hey shut up,” Patrick yells. “Go ahead Jonny.”

  
“No I really don’t know what to say, it’s not like this is a game,” Jonny starts, “and it’s not like you guys need any motivation. I guess it’s just uh, really nice to know that we’re more than just a team. That we can come together as a family and be able to celebrate this together. Kaner and I really appreciate all the support you guys have given us over the years. So, yeah.”

  
“Well said, Captain,” Hossa says.

  
“Here, here,” is the general response from the crowd.

  
“Yeah well said, Tazer, absolutely beautiful words,” Patrick says. “Now get me some cake.”

 

***

 

The Kings put up more of a fight in the second round than the Blues did in the first, but the Hawks still come out on top after six games, and move on to face the Edmonton Oilers, who upset both the Wild and the Canucks respectively, in the Western Conference Finals.

  
It's one of the most intense playoff series' of the last ten years, with each game decided by only one goal. The two teams trade victories until game six, when the Blackhawks have a chance to finish things up in Edmonton.

  
It looks as though they very well might, with a 2-0 lead going into the third, but the line of Nugent-Hopkins, Hall, and Eberle are not so easily beaten. They tie the game with twelve minutes left in the third, and take the lead seven minutes later, and just like that the Oilers force a game seven and things had back to Chicago.

  
"Patrick please, please just go watch the game with Abby," Jonny begs the morning before game seven.

  
"I want to be there, Jonny," Patrick says. "It's gonna be so intense, the atmosphere is gonna be crazy."

  
"You have to know that's exactly why I don't want you there," Jonny responds.

  
"I know," Patrick admits. "But don't you remember how much it sucked to not be able to play when you had your concussion? I know that was years ago, but still, think about it." Jonny does think about it, Patrick can tell, but he still doesn't look convinced. "Jonny, please?" Patrick doesn't general seriously ask Jonny's permission for anything, because excuse you he's a grown ass man, but this is a different situation. Patrick knows he's putting his safety at risk, but it's hockey, and it's the Cup, it's in his blood, and he has to be there. If Jonny says no, though, he won't go.

  
"I'd feel much more comfortable if I knew someone was there with you," Jonny says.

  
"Sharpy's parents are in town," Patrick informs him. "I'll ask Abby if they can watch the kids and have her go with me."

  
Jonny looks pained, like allowing Patrick to go goes against all of his husbandly instincts. He says "okay" anyhow.

 

***

 

The game is just as intense as Patrick expected, with both Emery and Khabibulin in rare form, not letting a single goal in for the first two periods, despite some pretty spectacular shots from each team. Every time there's a shot on goal it's like all of Chicago is holding its breath, waiting whether to cheer or to groan collectively. The energy among the crowd as well as the players is palpable throughout the entire game.

  
The first goal of the game is finally scored, after a pass from Bollig goes right to Shaw's tape and he in turn slaps it in over the goalie's left shoulder. The entire United Center erupts, and so does something inside of Patrick.

  
"Abby!" He tries to yell over the crowd, trying to get her attention as a hot liquid starts dripping down his thighs. "Abby!"

  
"What, Pat, what is it?" she asks after finally calming down somewhat.

  
"I can't be entirely sure, since this has never happened to me before," he starts, "but either I've peed on myself or my water just broke."

  
"Oh my god, okay. Let's get you outta here," Abby says, not wasting any time grabbing her things and leading Patrick towards the exit.

  
In Abby's car on the way to the hospital, Patrick makes necessary calls, first to his doctor, letting him know that he's on the way to the hospital, then to his mother.

  
"Oh my baby," Donna cries into the phone after Patrick tells her. "Don't worry about a thing, I'll call Andree and the two of us will be there with you and just a few hours. Don't worry about sending anyone to get us from the airport, we'll get a cab."

  
"I love you, mom," Patrick tells her.

  
"I love you, too, baby. You're gonna be great."

 

***

 

Patrick is great, if he does say so himself. Once they make it to the hospital, he's admitted almost immediately, his doctor having called ahead to inform them of his arrival. He and Abby are taken to a private room and wait only about a half an hour for Dr. Johnson to arrive.

  
They get a nurse to turn the TV on to the game for them, only to discover that they missed the ending.  The Blackhawks are on to the Stanley Cup Finals, having beaten the Oilers 2-1.

  
"We did it," Abby says with a huge grin.

  
"Yeah," Patrick says through a groan as another contraction rips through him. "Why did you not warn me about the freaking pain?"

  
"I would've thought my screams would have been enough for you to figure it out," Abby answers. "At least you won't have to push."

  
"I kinda want to really bad right now," he tells her.

  
"We'll, don't," Dr. Johnson says as he walks through the door. "We're gonna be prepping you surgery soon, so don't give in."

  
"We're gonna wait for Jonny," Patrick says. "You left him a voicemail, right Abby?"

  
"You were in the car with me when I did," she reminds him.

  
"Patrick!" Jonny yells, running through the door looking wild, right on cue. He's still in full hockey gear, minus the skates; he's not wearing shoes at all. "Are you okay? What happened?" he asks frantically, dropping to his knee beside the bed and taking Pat's hand.

  
"Everything's okay, Mr. Toews," Dr. Johnson assures him. "You're just gonna have some kids, is all."

  
"What?" Jonny asks, looking dumbfounded, which is such a hilarious look on him that Patrick can't help but laugh out loud. "Why are you laughing? What the hell is going on?"

  
"Aw, babe. Did you not listen to Abby's voicemail?" Patrick asks, still laughing and petting Jonny on his still-sweaty cheek.

  
"He never got a voicemail," Sharpy answers, stepping into the room. "He scored the game winner and looked up at the box searching for your smiling face, Peekaboo. When he saw that you weren't there, he freaked the fuck out. I could barely get him to take his skates off before he was running out to his car, ignoring every reporter who called his name."

  
"You didn't let him drive like that did you?" Abby asks. "He could've killed someone in his hurry to get here."

  
"Nah, he ran out so fast he forgot his keys," Sharpy tells them. "I'd gotten your text, so I knew where you were."

  
"Wouldn't tell me where we were going, though," Jonny says, and Abby glares at Sharpy.

  
"It was entertaining watching you freak out," Sharpy says with a shrug.

  
"Are you in labor, Kaner?" Jonny asks, and he looks so pathetic that Patrick finally takes mercy on him.

  
"Yeah, Tazer, I am."

  
"And it's about time we got you prepped for surgery," Dr. Johnson adds, breaking his silence of the past few minutes. "I'm certain you want to be with your husband when he delivers, Mr. Toews, but I can't have you in there looking...and smelling...like you do."

  
“I’m not leaving,” Jonny says simply.

  
“Yes, you are,” Patrick tells him.

  
“ _Babe_ ,” Jonny pleads.

  
“Don’t you ‘babe’ me,” Patrick commands. “I gotta have you in there with me, okay? You have to be there. And in order for that to happen, you need to let Sharpy drive you home, take a quick shower, put on something a little more comfortable than your hockey gear, and get back here so we can have our babies.”

  
Jonny stands up at that, looking as determined as he usually does when he’s on the ice, driving towards the goal. He drops a kiss onto Patrick’s forehead, and looks over at Sharpy, who obediently follows him out of the door.

  
An hour later, Jonny is back, freshly-showered and dressed in a simple black polo and blue jeans, with an overnight bag in hand.

  
“I didn’t know what you’d need,” Jonny tells him, nervously. “So I kinda just threw some PJs and toiletries and stuff in here. I should’ve called but I knew they were prepping you and I didn’t know if I’d be able to reach you, I’m sorry.”

  
“It’s okay, Tazer. You’re doing great,” Abby assures him, smiling as she takes the bag from him. “They left some scrubs in here for you to change into. It’s almost time.”

  
“Yeah, okay,” Jonny says, distracted. “Are you feeling okay?” he asks Patrick, grasping his hand tightly.

  
“I’m fine, Jonny,” Patrick answers, squeezing Jonny’s hand. “Get your scrubs on so we can do this.”

  
“You guys all ready to go?” a nurse asks a few minutes later, after Jonny’s changed into his scrubs.

  
“You ready,” Jonny asks, looking down at Patrick with so much love in his eyes it makes Patrick tear up.

  
“Yeah,” Patrick says, smiling up at Jonny. “Are you?”

  
“Yeah,” Jonny says, smiling back. “Let’s do this.”

  
“Mrs. Sharp, you can wait in the waiting room with your husband and the rest of the team,” the nurse informs her.

  
“Oh god, the team’s here?” Abby asks, looking pityingly at the nurse. “I guess, I better go down there and keep them under control.” She presses kisses to Jonny’s cheek and Patrick’s forehead and says, “good luck, boys” and is out of the room.

 

***

 

Patrick’s body is baby free within the next half hour.

  
The C-section went without a hitch, and the babies were completely healthy, if unhappy about being dragged out of their comfort into new surroundings. Patrick figures it must be a lot like being forced out of bed against your will, with the covers dragged off and the blinds pulled up at the same time, so he feels their pain.

 

Jonny cuts the umbilical cords after some convincing, not wanting to leave Pat’s side, and also because he hates the sight of blood (“But you’re a hockey player,” Dr. Johnson says, flabbergasted), and then the babies, their daughters, are placed into Patrick’s and Jonny’s arms for a few minutes before being taken away again.

  
“Wait, where are you taking them?” Patrick asks nervously.

  
“Don’t worry Mr. Kane-Toews, we’re just taking them to get cleaned up and weighed and measured,” the nurse tells him. “We’re gonna get you stitched up and take you back to your room. Mr. Toews, why don’t you go tell the team that you’re a daddy now?” Jonny looks down at Patrick, seeking permission.

  
“Go,” Patrick tells him. Jonny bends over and kisses Patrick passionately, no shame in front of doctors and nurses who are probably use to it considering their line of work.

  
“ _Je t’aime_ ,” he says.

  
“I love you, too,” Patrick replies.

  
And just like that, they’re parents.

 

***

 

Andree and Donna have arrived by the time Patrick is wheeled back into his room, and the nurse allows them both in once he’s settled.

  
“Why don’t our granddaughters have names?” is the first thing they say upon entering.

  
“Hello Mom, Maman,” Patrick greets. “Yes, I’m perfectly fine after having two five pound, nineteen inch humans taken out of my body. Thanks for asking.”

  
“I knew you were fine when I got here,” Donna says, bending over to kiss his forehead.

  
“Yes, my son was out in the lobby being loud and totally not himself with his teammates,” Andree tells him, kissing both of his cheeks. “So we knew that you were okay. Now answer the question. Why did I go see my granddaughters and only see ‘Baby Girl Toews’ written over them?”

  
“It’s not like we purposefully are not naming them,” Patrick tells the mothers. “It’s just. Well they took us by surprise, showing up tonight, and we hadn’t settled on first names yet.”

  
“Well, it’s time to settle,” Donna says, simply. She shoots Andree a significant glance, and Andree is out of the room in an instant, coming back with a very chastened-looking Jonny.

  
“Jonny, dear, it’s time to name your daughters,” Donna commands in a sweet way that only seasoned mothers can pull off.

  
“Uh, well,” Jonny starts lamely, “we haven’t really settled on first names yet. But we have middle names, Maman. Pat told you their middle names right?”

  
“Middle names are all well and good, love, but what are we going to actually be calling them?” Andree asks.

  
Jonny looks helplessly over at Patrick. “I guess we have to settle on some names, babe. What about the ones you said last week?”

  
“Did you even like those?” Patrick asks. “I was really just throwing names out there.”

  
“They’re as good as any, I guess,” Jonny replies.

  
“Whose sons are these?” Donna asks Andree.

  
“Bryan and Patrick Sr.,” Andree answers simply.

  
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the nursery wasn’t even set up yet,” Donna says, shaking her head.

  
Jonny and Patrick both look comically wide-eyed at their mothers, who both heave heavy sighs.

  
“ _Mon Dieu_ , you can’t be serious?” Andree says incredulously.

  
“Do you even have a room set aside for the nursery?” Donna asks.

  
“Of course we do,” Jonny tells them. “The cribs are set up and everything. There’s just, like, stuff all over the place. And we haven’t had a chance to set the changing table up or unpack any of the clothes or diapers, and uh. No, the nursery isn’t set up.”

  
Donna and Andree exchange longsuffering glances before standing up and making their way towards the door. They both turn around before walking out of the room and face their sons.

  
“Name those babies,” Donna says.

  
“Do it right now,” Andree says. And they’re off, with Jonny’s car keys (Seabs and Duncs brought his car over from the UC) in hand.

  
Jonny looks over at Patrick and sighs. “Well, that was dramatic.”

  
“I guess being grandmothers does something to women,” Patrick says.

  
“It must,” Jonny agrees. “They’ll probably kill us if we don’t have names by the time they get back.”

  
“Do you really like the names that I said last week?” Patrick asks.

  
“The more I think about it, the more I do,” Jonny tells him. “I think they flow nicely with the middle names we chose.”

  
“You think?”

  
“I do,” Jonny answers. “‘Lynette’ goes well with ‘Andree,’ and ‘Lacey’ with ‘Rose.’”

  
“Lynette Andree Toews,” Patrick says, testing the sound of it.

  
“And Lacey Rose Toews,” Jonny says.

  
“I like it.”

  
“Me too.”

 

***

 

Patrick and Jonny literally have no time to settle in with Lynette and Lacey before Jonny is caught up in the rush of getting ready for the Stanley Cup Finals. Thankfully, both sets of parents planned to be in town for the first two games of the Finals, so they’ll have some help. Bryan and Patrick Sr., along with Jackie, who’s done with school for the summer, arrive two days after the twins are born. After first coming to the hospital to fawn over the twins, they all head to the condo to help the mothers get things set up.

  
Patrick hates being confined to a hospital bed, hates feeling useless, but isn’t like his wrist injury at all, not like he thought it would be. The first couple of days he can’t even get out of the bed to use the bathroom without assistance because it hurt too much move, and he doesn’t want to move the wrong way and pull at his stitches. All he can do is sit in his room and watch highlights of the Western and Eastern Conference Finals, and all the press leading up to the Stanley Cup (Blackhawks v. Penguins, because Sidney Crosby) and feel sorry for himself. And it’s not as if he’s not crazy excited about his team making a bid for the Cup again, he just hates that he can’t do anything, hasn’t been able to do anything for basically the entire season.

  
The silver lining in all of this is, of course, Lynette and Lacey, who are by far the two most perfect human beings that Patrick has ever seen in his entire life. Granted, they don’t do much but lie in his arms and sleepily suck at the bottles he feeds them. But to be perfectly honest, they do that much better than any of the Sharp babies ever did, and look much cuter while doing so. And Patrick’s not being biased, because even Abby agrees with him when she comes to visit, even though she could just be saying that to appease him. Whatever, he knows it’s true anyhow.

  
They have the blondest hair in the entire world, so fair that it almost looks as if they’re bald, and even though Patrick knows most babies are born with blue eyes at first, he’s pretty sure they’ll develop his blue eyes as well. He’d been secretly hoping that end up looking more like Jonny, but he supposes the more of himself running around the better.

  
Jonny spends every moment that he’s not at practice or doing press or anything Finals related at the hospital, half because he can’t stand to be away from Patrick and the girls if he can help it, and half because Donna and Andree wouldn’t let him anywhere near the condo even if he wanted to go there. Patrick’s hormones must still be out of whack or something because every time he sees Jonny holding one (or both, as he likes to do) of their daughters, he starts to tear up.

  
This is the case the night before game one of the Stanley Cup finals at the United Center. Jonny is dozing off in the cot he’d been sleeping in for the past few days, with Lacey lying against his shirtless chest, and Patrick is in his bed, feeding Lyn (as pretty much everyone has started calling her). Patrick tried to get Jonny to go home and sleep in their bed, since he needed to be well-rested for the next day, but Jonny insisted on staying, and of course Pat is glad that he did.

  
He loves these moments, when it’s just the four of them alone. Over the past few days there have always been doctors and nurses and visitors coming in and out, but for a little while every night, it’s just them, just Jonathan and Patrick Toews and their daughters. And he really starts to feel it more and more every time they have these moments.

  
They’re a family.

 

***

 

Patrick and the twins are cleared to go home the day of game one of the Finals. Jonny opts out of morning skate, something he never does, especially for a game this important.

  
“You need me,” Jonny says simply, when Patrick says that he should probably be at the United Center.

  
Andree and Donna send their husbands to the hospital in Patrick’s car to help with everything, and when they all make it back to the condo, Jackie comes down to help so that all Jonny has to worry about is helping Patrick. Patrick can move around much better now than before, but he’s moving slowly.

  
When they make it into the condo, Patrick is struck by how clean everything is. It’s not that he and Jonny are slobs; they just haven't had a lot of time to really get on their hands and knees and to clean and organize the way they would want. It looks as if their parents have spent the past week doing nothing but that, though.

  
“Welcome home, baby,” Donna greets, coming up to Patrick as soon as he steps through the door, and kissing his cheek.

  
“Thanks, mom,” Patrick says. “I’m glad to be back. Where are the twins?”

  
“Andree and Bryan are putting them down in their cribs,” Donna answers. “Lunch is almost ready, if you want to go and look in on them.”

  
“You want to?” Patrick asks Jonny, who just squeezes his hand and nods.

  
When they reach nursery, Patrick sees that they not only cleaned and organized their entire condo, but that they made sense of the mess that was the twins’ room. The cribs are placed end to end on the far wall and the changing tables on opposite walls. All of the clothes, including their multitude of Blackhawks jerseys, are hanging up in the closet. The exception to that are the jersey’s that Stan Bowman had made for them, which are framed and hanging on the wall above the two cribs.

  
Bryan and Andree are each standing over a crib, looking down at their grandchildren. They turn around when they hear their son and Patrick enter the room.

  
“ _Bonjour mes fils_ ,” Andree greets. “Your father and I were just admiring our beautiful granddaughters.”

  
“You did good boys,” Bryan says, seriously.

  
“ _Merci Maman, Papa_ ,” Jonny says. “For everything,” he adds, gesturing around the room.

  
“It was no trouble, son,” Bryan tells them.

  
“Yeah no trouble for you,” Andree jokes, slapping her husband lightly on the arm.

  
“I helped!”

  
“Is that what you call it?” Andree asks. “Don’t let your fathers fool you, boys, they mostly stood around and got in the way and asked when the next meal was while Donna, Jackie, and I did all the work.”

  
“Not at all, surprised,” Patrick says, laughing.

  
“We’ll give you guys some privacy,” Andree says, taking her husband’s hand and leading him out the room, closing the door behind them.

  
Jonny, who hasn’t let go of Patrick’s hand since they got out of the car, squeezes Patrick’s hand as he presses a kiss to his forehead. “They’re home now.”

  
“Yeah,” Patrick breathes. “Yeah.” Jonny squeezes his hand again and leads him over to the cribs.

  
It’s surreal almost, seeing their daughters at home, in their nursery. As cliché as it sounds, it seems like only yesterday that Patrick found out that he was pregnant with them, and now here they are, the living and breathing culminations of the best thing in his life: his relationship with the man standing next to him. Patrick watches Jonny as Jonny watches Lyn and Lacey sleep, and his face is the softest that Patrick has ever seen it.

  
“I wanna hold them,” Jonny whispers, and the tenderness of his expression definitely translates to his voice.

  
“I do, too,” Patrick admits, “but that’s probably not a good idea. We should let them sleep.”

  
“You’re right,” Jonny agrees. “Lunch is probably ready anyhow, and I should probably sleep myself.”

  
They have a relatively quiet lunch with their parents and Jackie, then Jonny heads to bed for his pregame nap. Patrick is low on energy, but as Donna and Andree are clearing away the dishes, they hear cries coming through the baby monitor sitting on the counter.

  
“It’s okay, I got it,” Patrick says, and raises himself up, slowly still, from his seat and heads to the nursery with Jackie following him. Both Lyn and Lacey are crying from their cribs, and Patrick moves to pick up Lacey as Jackie grabs Lyn.

  
“I think Dad is getting their bottles made,” Jackie tells him. “You feelin’ alright, Patty?”

  
“I’m fine,” Patrick answers. “These stitches suck, and I hate that I have to move so slow. But, I’m okay.”

  
“That’s good,” Jackie says, then looks him up and down and starts laughing, throwing her head back.

  
“What the hell is so funny?”

  
“You’re someone’s dad,” Jackie laughs. “Is that not hilarious to you?”

  
“It was bound to happen eventually,” Patrick says. “Especially after I got pregnant.”

  
“I know, I know,” Jackie says, calming down. “It’s just funny. You’re a parent. Of, like, children. Mom never even let you babysit me, and now you’re responsible for the well-being of two little humans.”

  
“You’re doing a terrible job of instilling confidence in me, Jack.”

  
“I’m sorry, you’re right,” Jackie says. “I’ll leave you alone, let’s go feed these babies.”

 

***

 

The first two games of the Stanley Cup finals are just as intense as expected with the two juggernauts of the Eastern and Western conference coming together for the most important series of the season. Both games are decided by one goal, and it’s the Blackhawks who come out on top on both occasions.

  
Patrick is nowhere near ready to be out of the house, and he wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving the twins even if he was, so Donna and Andree switch off staying home with him during the games, while Bryan, Patrick Sr. and Jackie join the madness as United Center.

  
The night after the Hawks win game two, Patrick and Jonny are up feeding Lyn and Lacey in the rocking chairs in the nursery. Their parents have gone to the hotel where Jonny and Patrick are putting them up, and Jackie is passed out in the one spare bedroom, worn out from all of the excitement from tonight’s game. It’s another one of Pat’s favorite moments, when it’s just him and Jonny and their babies. They’re silent as they feed their daughters, no sound in the room but that of Lyn and Lacey enthusiastically sucking at their bottles. It’s a comforting sound for Patrick.

  
After they’ve burped the girls changed their diapers and put them back to bed, they head to bed themselves. Patrick knows that Jonny is exhausted, so he’s surprised when Jonny pulls him into his arms and kisses him deeply. They can’t do much because of Pat’s stitches, but Pat still matches Jonny’s enthusiasm as they continue to kiss. Jonny pulls back for a breath after a minute or two and rests his forehead against Patrick’s, breathing heavily.

  
“I don’t want to go to Pittsburgh,” he pants.

  
“I don’t want you to go,” Patrick says.

  
“What if I didn’t?” Patrick pulls away from Jonny at that and stares at him questioningly.

  
“Are you being serious right now, Jonny?”

  
“Kinda?” Jonny says uncertainly.

  
“What is wrong with you?”

  
“I just,” Jonny starts, “I don’t want to leave you. You’re not at your best right now, and I don’t want to leave Lynette and Lacey. Like, what are they gonna think when their Papa leaves them?” Patrick starts laughing because Jonny is the most ridiculous person in the world. So he tells him so. “I am not. This is serious, Patrick.”

  
“First of all, my mother is going to be here for the next month while I recover to help with the babies,” Jonny reminds him. “And Lyn and Lacey are two weeks old. I don’t think they have thoughts, or even know who either one of us are.”

  
“But still,” Jonny starts

  
“But nothing,” Patrick interrupts. “You’re the fucking captain, Jonny, and this is _the fucking cup_. You’re going to Pittsburgh, and you’re going to _win_. What would your daughters think if their Daddy killed their Papa for not going to play in the Stanley Cup Finals?”

  
“You’re more important than hockey to me, Kaner.”

  
“I love you, you asshole,” Patrick tells him. “But I swear to god, if you don’t get on that plane tomorrow and come back in four days with Stanley Cup in hand, I’m will murder you and they will never find your body.”

 

***

 

It’s not easy, in fact the games that take place in Pittsburgh are the most intense and hard-fought games Patrick has ever watched. Sidney Crosby and his boys have not been considered one of the league’s premier teams for the past ten years for no reason, and it shows as they fight to stretch the series.

  
However, for the first time in since 1998, a team is swept out of the Stanley Cup finals, and the Blackhawks are the ones who dealt the blow, with a 4-3 victory after overtime in game three, and a 2-1 victory in overtime of game four.

  
For the second time in the three Cups that the Blackhawks have won since 2010, Jonathan Toews is presented with the Conn Smythe, tallying 25 points during the playoffs, including his assist to Michael Frolik for the Cup winning goal. He’s pulled aside for an interview amidst the general madness.

  
“Jonathan, how does it feel to win your third Stanley Cup, as well as your second Conn Smythe?”

  
“It’s uh, it’s amazing really,” Jonny answers. “This has been a really amazing year for me and for the rest of the team as well, and I’m glad that we can top it off like this.”

  
“I don’t know if you knew this, but the Penguins swept the Blackhawks out of the finals back in 1992. What do you have to say to some of the older fans who remember that?”

  
“Yeah, I knew,” Jonny says. “I’m glad we were able to do this for them, to hopefully erase that bitter memory with this one.”

  
“I bet the celebration tonight is gonna be out of this world for you guys,” the reporter asks.

  
“For the rest of the team, maybe,” Jonny says. “But I’m on the first flight back to Chicago to be with my family.”

  
“None of them were able to make the trip out?”

  
“They were here for the games in Chicago, but Kaner wasn’t fit to travel, especially with newborns, so, uh, I gotta get back.”

  
“New _borns_?!” And of course Patrick is watching this and laughing his head off as Jonny face goes a most unholy shade of red. They hadn’t gone public with the fact that they’d had twins, and Jonny’s obviously embarrassed for letting it slip.

  
“Uh, yeah,” Jonny answers, running his hand through his sweaty hair. “Two little girls that I gotta get back to.”

  
“Well, I’ll let you do just that,” the reporter says. “Congratulations again, Jonathan, and extend our congratulations to Patrick Kane, as well.”

  
“Kane-Toews,” Jonny corrects before skating away to join back in with the celebration still going on the ice. Patrick’s pretty sure the reporters get his last name wrong on purpose just to irritate Jonathan.

 

***

 

The Blackhawks have their exit interviews less than a week later, and the running joke among all of the guys when asked about sweeping the Penguins is that their captain would have killed them if he had to make another trip back to Pittsburgh for a game six.

  
The joke is brought up to Jonny during his own interview.

  
“It wasn’t me, actually,” Jonny says. “It was Kaner. He told me the night before I left that I better not come back without the Stanley Cup or he’d kill me. I just transferred the message to the boys.”

 

***

 

For his day with the Cup, Jonny’s chooses August 3rd, two months exactly after the twins are born. Patrick is fully recovered from his C-section, so they take the opportunity to take the trip up to Quebec so Andree’s family can meet the twins, and see the Cup for the third time. It’s also the first time the twins will be out of their condo since they were brought home the second week of June, and both parents are wary of taking them on an airplane, Jonny more so than Patrick though.

  
“People are gonna see them,” Jonny complains for the umpteenth time, the night before they’re due to leave for Quebec. “And people have germs. And I am not okay with them being exposed to that this early.”

  
“We have germs, too, idiot,” Patrick reminds him.

  
“Yeah but we’re their dads,” Jonny says. “We have the same germs.”

  
“You’re making no sense at all, so I’m just gonna ignore you.”

  
“Patrick,” Jonny says, grabbing Pat’s arm as he continues to go around their room, making sure that they didn’t forget to pack anything. “This is serious.”

  
“It’s really not,” Patrick says, allowing himself to be pulled into Jonny. “We talked to the pediatrician. She said it was perfectly fine to take the babies out now. Stop freaking out. Everything is gonna be fine. Don’t you want your family to meet your kids, so they can fuss over them and coo at them in French or whatever?”

  
“Yeah, but...” Patrick shuts him up with a quick peck to the lips.

 

“If I would’ve known you’d be this ridiculous, I’d have never left the hospital,” Patrick says. “The first time dad thing is cute, but you gotta let it go.”

 

Jonny does let it go eventually, especially once they make it up to Quebec. His family has seen the Cup multiple times already, and although they’re excited for Jonny and Pat that they won again, they’re not too invested in actually seeing it. The stars of this trip home are most definitely Lyn and Lacey.

  
They’re only two months old, so they still don’t do very much. But watching them get passed around and hearing Jonny’s family exclaim (in French and in English) over them fills Patrick with pride, because why yes they are the most beautiful babies in the world, and they came from _inside of him_ so he can take all the responsibility for that (Jonny who?). And Jonny is the proudest papa in the world beaming brighter than Patrick has ever seen whenever anyone congratulates him on producing the two most beautiful Gilberts, never mind that their last name is Toews.

  
Seeing Jonny like this, in a whole new element where his third Stanley Cup and his second Conn Smythe is forgotten for the sake of showing off his daughters, just reaffirms for Patrick that, yeah, he’d do it all again. He’d give up being a part of a run for the Stanley Cup, would give up a chance at being the MVP just to make that man happy, because, even though hockey is still very much a part of who he is, this family is, and will always be, the most important thing in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> There's some French spoken in this thing, and if Google Translate is to be trusted
> 
> Si chaud, si humide- So hot, so wet  
> Bonjour mes amours, papa vous aime- Hello my loves, daddy loves you  
> Mon Dieu- My God  
> Bonjour me fils- Hello my sons
> 
> Also, baby Madison's middle name is a combination of the names Jonathan and Kane, in case you were confused.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
